Ments



. W. L. BLISS LIGHTING EQUIPMENT AND STARTING ARRANGEMENT FOR GASOLINE ENGINES OR GASOLINE MOTOR CARS Original Filed June 25, 1910 ,2 Shee ts-Sheet 1 GAsoLENE ENGINE INVENTOR. William L. Bliss 6 be A TTORNEY Re, 16,334 W. L. BLISS LIGHTING EQUIPMENT AND STARTING ARRANGEMENT FOR 0m. 2 9 1 7 2 n P A GASOLINE ENGINES OR GASOLINE MOTOR CARS Original Filed June 25, 1910 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 All INVENTOR.

William L.BZi5s A TTORNEY Reissued Apr. 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. nusaor 1111mm rams, new roux, assreuon, BY mEsxE assronmums, r0 0. s. LIGHT a near. conroaa'rron, or 'nmeanarnrs, new roar,-

A CORPORATION 0! NEW YORK.

LIGHTING EQUIPMENT AND s'ran'rme' amnemnnr ron easormn ENGINES on oasonnm moron cans.

Originalllo. 1,359,022, dated November 16,1920, Serial No. 568,909, filed June 25, 1910. Application for reissuefiled larch 25, 1921. Serial no. 455,590.

T 0 all whom it may concern-z Be it known that I, \VILLIAM L. Buss, a citizen of the United States, residing I at Niagara Falls, New York, have invented certain new Improvements in Lighting Equipment and Starting Arrangements for Gasoline Engines or Gasoline Motor Cars, of which the followin'g is a specification;

My invention relates to a lighting system adapted particularly to a gasoline automobile or a railway motor car using an internal combustion-engine, and also to a starting arrangement for said engine. One of the objects of the invention is to provide a practical and efiicient system of electric light mg for a vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine, and another object is to take advantage of the, various instrumentallties necessarily incident to a car or vehicle lighting system, to start the engine provided to run the generator which furnishes the current for the vehicle lighting. v 1

In a gasoline automobile or motor car using an internal combustion engine, a clutch is always employed between the englue and the running gear of the car, so that the en ine may be started light and afterward, )y means of the clutch, connected to the driving mechanism of the car. An electric lighting system may be applied to an automobile in'such a manner that a generator may be intermittently driven from theaxle .of the automobile or fromsome part'of the rotating mechanism. The generator may intermittently charge a stor battery and furnish current to the lamps or lighting the car or automobile. The battery may furnish current for the lamps when the car or engine'- is at rest or running too slowly to render the generator operative. A regulator may be applied to the generator like those used in railway axle lighting for regulating the generator to confine its output within certain limits, although the generator may be subjected to enormous variations in speed. A regulator for the lamps may be provided to maintain their voltage constant, even though the voltage of the generator and storage battery vary over quite a range.

An automatic switch or its equivalent may be provided to disconnect the generatonfrom the lighting system, to prevent the battery from discharging uselessly throughthe same. The generator may be driven from a connection on either side of the clutch; If

driven from the driving gear on the engine side of the clutch the generator will run whenever the engine runs, 'notwithstandin the fact that the clutch might be disengag and the car standing still. By driving the generator from the engine side of the clutch, two important advantages 7 are gained. First, the generator will be in operation more of the time,. and hence be usefully employed more of the time than if it were connected on the Wheel side of the clutch.

Second, by connecting the generator to the engine side of the clutch, thev generator may engine, which as soon as it begins to operate,

will in time drive the motor as the generator ofa lighting system.

While the invention is capable of various applications, the ones which I have worked out in practice, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawin are a simple, etlicient and useful adaptation of the idea as applied to a gasoline automobile or a, railway motor car such as are in use on certain railroads for branch line service, and having a system of electric lighting.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a system embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a modifiedv System.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of another modification.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a generator and driving means therefor.

' Referring to Figure 1, a gasoline or other hydro-carbon engine 1 is shown connected directly to a shunt wound enerator having an armature 2 and shunt ti eld windings 2. The generator supplies the current to the mains with which the storage battery 3 and the lamp circuit 4 are connected in parallel branches.

The asoline engine is used primarily to drive t e car, the mechanical connection through the clutch and caring to the wheels of the car, not being shown. The capacity of the generator is chosen for the lighting of the car, and in turn, when acting as a motor, is only enough to start the engine.

Two switches connected in parallel branches are aranged between the generator and the storage battery. One of these switches, which -I have called the main. switch, rforms the function of the usual automatic switch in that it is adapted to connect the generator with the storage battery when the voltage of the former is equal to or slightly in excess of that of the latter and also opens the circuit to the storage battery when the generator voltage falls below that of the battery. The second switch, or auxiliary switch, is manually controlled and is" used to connect the battery with the generator in order to permit the battery current to flow through the generator in a reverse direction and run-the same as a motor to start the engine. When the auxiliary switch is closed by the operator, themain switch is rendered inoperative. ;The opening of the auxiliary switch, however, restores the main switch to operative condition. I

The circuitfrom the generator to the battery, under working conditions, is completed through conductor 5, around resistance 6, by means of short circuiting contacts 7 controlled by the startin switch, then through conductor 8, releasing coil 9, main switch 10, which is closed at the time and conductor 11'. From the battery and light- ,ing circuit 4, the circuit to the generator is com leted through conductor 12. The shunt fiel coils of the generator are connected around resistance 6, by' conductor 13, as illustrated.

Suitable means are provided matically closing the main switch 10. The means include a lifting coil connected in a circuit across the generator terminals as follows :-from the 'positive terminal, through conductors 5, 19, triple contact 7,

conductor -18, lifting coil 17, conductor 16,-

resistance 15, and conductor 14,- to the negative terminal.

A set of triple contacts 21 is illustrated for use in connection with a system'of regulation employing buc'ker's, but as this'pan ticular regulation is not essential to the invention, as disclosed in this particular diagram and as any suitable form of regulation may be used in connection therewith, the

for autodetails of said regulating system have been omitted. It should be noted however, that for the sake of clearness, both vertical and plan views of the contacts of switches 7 and 21 have been provided.

The auxiliary switch 22, which may be called the motor starting switch is connected in parallel with the main switch 10 and operates to close a circuit from the battery to the generator, which, under these circumstances will run as a motor. This circuit is from battery 3, conductors 11, and 23, holding coil 24, switch 22 if closed, conductor 25 and dividing, one branch through resistance 6, conductor 5 and generator armature, and the other branch through conductor 13 and generator field 2 to conductor 12 and battery,

For convenience in operating switch 22, a lifting coil 26 is arranged in a circuit leading from the battery, as follows: from hatran ement.

' e operation of the system isas follows:

Upon pressing any of the push buttons 28, the lifting coil 26 is energized by current from the battery 3, and closes the starting switch 22, which is thereafter held in closed position by the coil 24, which coil is included in a circuit from the battery through the generator 2,'including also resistance 6, which is intended to prevent damage to the armature and to prevent short circuiting of the battery. 'As soon as the starting switch 22 has closed, the push button may be released as the coil 24 will hold the switch closed without the assistance of. coil 26. The shunt field coil 2 is subject to full battery .voltageandhence produces as strong a field for starting as possible. The resistance 6 limits the starting current through the armature, to a suitable value.

The generator now starts as a'motor and 'ves a few turns to the engine corres 0nding to the ordinary cranking, so that t e en gine thereafter runs on 1tS' own power, whereupon the enerator ceases to run as a motor, and no onger draws current from the storage battery. The dying out of this current causes the deenergization of coil 24, switch 22 fallin open, The opening of switch 22 closes t e'triple contact switch 7, which short circuits the resistance 6 former ly in the armature circuit. The object of opening this triple contact switch 7 upon the c osing of the starting switch 22, is .to prevent, by any possibility, the generator switch 10 closing prematurely.

of the automatic switc being open circuited The lifting coil 17 by the triple contact switch 7, said switch is rendered inoperative during the period that the starting switch 22'remains closed.

As the speed of the engine and generator vincreases, the voltage of the generator inshort circuited, as it is not needed when the apparatus operates as alighting system its use when starting the generator as a motor having been explained. The openin of switch 22 also closes the circuit of the li ting coil 17, arranged in a shunt circuit 19,18, 17, 16, 15,14, around the generator armature so that when the generator voltage has reac ed a value corresponding to the'normal voltage of the battery, say two volts per cell, the switch closes and connects the generator to the s stem so that it can charge the batteries an light the lamps, the circuit being as follows :-from the generator,

' through conductors 5, 19, switch 7, conductors 20, 8, releasing coil 9, switch 10, conduc- I tor 11, storage battery 3 and lighting circuit 4 and conductor 12, back to the generator. Coils 17 and 9 are so wound that they assist each other in holding the switch 10 closed as long as current flows from the generator to the battery. Whenever the generator slows down, however, to a point where its voltage is below that of the battery, the direction' of current flow in coil 9 is reversed, owing to the fact that the battery starts to discharge back through the generator, thereby causin releasing coil 9 to oppose lifting coil 17,w 'ereupon the switch 10 falls open.

Under normal conditions, the generator supplies both the battery 3 and the external lighting circuit 4. Whenever the generator is run at less than the proper speed, however, or when it is not runnin at all, the storage battery alone supplies t eli hting circuit. The battery, of course, may a be used'for other purposes, such for example, as roviding current for the. magnetic clutches bymeans. of which the motor car is driven by the engine 1. It may also provide current for the ignition system and for other pursee.

The storage battery provides energy for all of the above purposes provided it ,is kept charged by the generator. In the case of the gasoline motor car, to which this inven-' tion is particularly adapted, a very great advantagev obtains over the ordinary car lighting system in that the generator, being connected to the engine and not to the car axle, may be ke t running for a much longer time than un er the other system. It is customary with gasoline motor cars to keep the generator running practically all the time that the car is on the road. Whenever it is desired to stop the car, it is simply necessary to throw out the clutch and allow the engine to continue running, exactly as is the case with automobiles. j

In theforegoing it will be seen that a very simple and efliclent system is rovided, whereby the engine may be starte without resorting to cranking, compressed air devices or other ineflicient methods. In order to start, it is simply necessary to push one of the buttons which may be released as soon as the starting switch closes. Thereafter, the system takes care of itself.

Referring to Figure 2 in which is shown a system ada ted more particularly for automobile lighting, the generator 30 is shown -as having a shunt field 31, the main circuit of said generator being through conductor 32, solenoid 33, conductors 34- and 35, releasing coil 36, main switch 37 and dividing,

. through branch circuit 38 including a stor- 42 and conductor 43, thence joining the battery circuit through conductor 44 back to the generator. 1

. The shunt field 31 of the generator has in series therewith the carbon pile resistance 45, the pressure on said carbon pile being regu late by one end of a bell crank lever 46, the

other end of said lever being moved up and down b plunger 47, having its movement retarde by a dash 0t 48. The circuit through the shunt fiel is from the positive polefof the generator 30, through conductor '32, resistance 45,.conductors 49, 50, and 51 to the shunt field-31 and back to the negative pole of the generator.

The closing of the main switch 37 is effected by liftingcoil 52, which coil is in a shunt circuit around the terminals of the generator as follows:-from the positive pole of the generator through conductor 32,

solenoid. 33, conductor 34, lifting coil 52 and dividing-at the contact 53, through the lever 54 or through the resistance 55 in a. branch circuit around said lever, depending on whether or not the circuit is closed by the said lever at 53 uniting again in conductor.

56 and thence to the negative terminal.

A conductor 57, resistance 58 and hand switch 59 are shown as providing a path be-- tween the battery circuit 38 and conductors 50 and 51 and the shunt field 31 for the purpose of providing for the proper excita tion of the generator field when necessary.

A spring retracted. hand switch 60 is provided as a ,motor starter.

ing the other branch circuit from switch 60 through conductor 51 and generator field 31, and thence back to the battery. The re I This switch closes a circuit. from the battery 39, through sistance 63 isinserted to prevent short circuiting the battery through the armature and injuring the latter, the field being subjected to the full battery voltage, to pro-.

a switch 60 is held closed by hand for a short resistance 55.

interval, during which time the generator starts as a motor giving the engine enough turns to start it. After the engine starts,

it will drive the motor as a' generator and the voltage of the generator will increase.

The engine having started, the hand switch is released so that the on] circuitfrom the generatoralaside from its eld circuit, is" that through a lifting resistance 55 bein coil 52 and lever 54,

the short 'circuited.

As the speed an consequently the voltage: predetermined;- point is reached, at which lifting coil "52:. ,'closes the main switch 37 and siriiultamv. ousl 0 us the circuit at 53 by the'lifting;

of the generator increases, a

of he ever 54, thus throwing in the hi the the series coil 36 assists lifting coil, 52 in holding said switch closed. Furthermore, whenever the voltage of the generator fallsfbee low that of the battery due to a lessening, of its speed, thebattery will discharge back through the holding coil 36 and throu h 'the generator, whereu on said coil 36 will op se coil '52 and t emain" switch will fa 1 open, at the same time shortcircuiting I resistance 55 by means of lever The purpose of the carbon pile resistance 45 is to confine the out ut ofthe orator within safe limits] is micu ar ftype of later I have claimed infanotherap plication, and inasmuch as itiisshown here simplyv for the purpose ,of illustrati one of a number of regulators which mig t be used, a detailed description-will be unnecessary.- The operation, briefly,*isas" follows:-

keeps it in its lowermost osition, t ereby" producing the maximum pressure on the Plunger 47 is lifted under the influence At this time-if it The closing of the main' switch noocurs when the voltage of the generator exceeds a value corresponding tothe normal voltage of the battery, whereupon generator charges the battery and carriesamp load; It will be apparent that as? soon as thexmain'switch 37 18 closed, the

released, thus deenergizing liftingl generator, and the volta of the Upon excessive risesolenoid 33,

whereupon an increased resistance is introduced. into the shunt field circuit of the generator, thereby weakening the field and reducing thecurrent. This automaticre 'lation tends to confine the current wit in in'Figure 2, but'with'the addition of the" automatic switch and push buttons for starting the motor from any one of a number of distant points. The same reference characters, have beenv used in this figure as in the preceding figure, where the parts correspond. Starting from the battery 39, the

circuit may be traced through conductor 64,

solenoid 65 motor starting switch 66 when closed, conductor 67, resistance63, armature I i 30, conductor 44 and back tothe-battery. Another circuit starts with the Y64 and branches o'fi thro hvliftingl ilfgk i v,-

' conductor 69, push buttons 0,

71, back to the bat The operation of follows: 2 To insures generator voltage as the armature to rotate, a field energizing circuit from-the battery is 'rovid'ed through-conductorsi38, '57, 50, 51' eld winding31 and conductor i4 back to the Aresistance 58 mlry be provided in this circuit to limit the initial current flowing in the field winding; p 70, locate convenientl in difiere'nt parts of the automobile, the lifting coil 68 1s energized by battery current and closes the startin switch 66 thus completing a circuit from t e battery rough the generator field and. armature and causing sai generator to imam an, prompt building I a 338881118' any of the push buttons I operate as a motor and start thejengine' in a t e manner heretofore described. "As soon 1 As'soon as the engine begins to.

.tery isbalanced to :a' sufiicient extent so that the current flowing through coil 65 is so re- {asthe switch 66 closes, the coil 65 holds it Ill) duoed asto cause the motor starting switch 66 to fallf-open. From this'point on, the

operation of the system is the same as described in connectionwithFigure 2.

In Figure 4 there is showndiagrammatically, an internal combustion engine 7 2 having a shaft-73 provided at one end with any I suitable form ofclutch 74 and at the other Normally the weight of the plun 1-471 end with gears 75 for driving the generator armature 76. A large: gear on the en ine shaft and a small one on the enera'tor s aft engine as a motor, great leverage. The usual any suitable form,

crank 77 may also be provided if desired. The generator field winding '18 may be of such as those described above. I

' The foregoing embodiments of my idea are selected simply as illustrating some of matic switch and connecting the battery. to the electric machine, whereby the same may be, operated as amotor for starting the engme.

5. The combination of an engine, an electric machine connected'thereto, a secondary the many practical forms which the inventernal starting impu tion may assume and it is obvious that various changes may be made without depart-- ing from the spirit-of the invention, as long as the essential features come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim asn'ew and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In combination, a generator, a store e battery,: and .a circuit including said e ements, means connected to and adapted to battery, an automatic switch for controlling the charge of the battery by the electric machine, and a second switch for rendering inoperative the automatic switch and connecting the battery to the electric machine,

whereb the same may be operated as a drive said generator but requiring, an ex-- said circuit including also two switches in parallel, said switches being normally open, means for closing one o batterydischarges through said nerator' to.

motor or starting the engine;

6. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a dynamo electric machine connected to the'shaft of said e ine, a storage battery to be charged by sai dynamo electric machine, means for closing the main circuit .from said machine, means for connecting said battery to said dynamo electric machine to start sa1d en 'ne, said, means being opersaid' switches, whereby therun it as a motor forstartin said'connected'- means, means for automatica 1y opening said switch, when said generator, driven by said means, dev'elops,a predetermined voltage in opposition to said battery voltage, and means for closing the other switch upon still'furth'er increase of generator voltage.

2. An automobile starting and lighting sys tem comprising in combination with the automobile engine, a dynamo electric machine connected to said-engine, a storage batte in circuit therewith, and means for contro able at will, an means for preventing 0 eration vof said first mentioned means as ong as said second mentioned means is operative.

I 7. In combination, a dynamo. electric machine adapted to be connected to an internal combustion engine, an external circuit for said dynamo electric niachine, a storage-battery connected. across said external circuit, an automatic switch and a second switch connected between said dynamo electric machine and saidstor'ag'e battery in parallel branches, said automatic switch having'a lifting coil and a release coil, auxiliary contacts conling the circuit between said dynamo electric,

machine and batte said means comprising an automatic switc for closing said circu t cuitatwilhsaid additional means acting to trio machine connected-thereto, a secon the charge of the battery b chine, and means for cutting 'r'evenft' the operation of said automatic switchwhile said'circuit is closed by said I additional means.

3. An automobile starting and lighting system comprising 'n combination-with the automobile engine, adynamo electric; machine conn to said engine, a battery adapted to be connected in circuit therewith, an automatic switch for closing the circuit between said dynamo electric. machine and battery, said switch having a lifting'ccil for closin said switch under redetermined conditions, and a second switc operable at -will, for closing a circuit between said stonage batte and dynamo electric machine,

said secon switch having contacts inthe and an additional means for closing said cir-- trolled by said second switch, said lifting coil being connected across thegenerator termi-'.

nals throu b said auxiliary contacts, whereby the closing of said second. switch renders sa d automatic switch inoperative and permits batterycurrent to flow to said dynamo "electric-machine and operate the sameas a I said sto'ra motor to start the engine," 8. Ina lighting s stem, a

machine, a storage battery connected there to, an automatic switch connected in circuit between said dynamo electric machine and battery, said automatic switch having a ifting coilconnected across the terminals of said dynamo electric machine,

' and a second switch connected in' the shunt circuit around said automatic switch and contacts connected in circuit with said lifting coil, whereby said second switch ma be used to short circuit said automatic "sw tch and-simultaneously render samecircuit of said lifting coil whereby said lifting coil is rendered inoperative when said secondswitchisclosed. w

4. The combination of an engine, an elecy switch for controlling thO ml: out the mm.

battery, an automatic inoperative; 4

9. The combination ofan engine, an electric machine conected thereto, a secondary battery, an automatic switch for controlling the charge of the battery by the electric machine, and a switch for cutting out the automatic switchj-andcon' the battery to the electric machine,;where y the same may be operated as a motor for the endynamo electric.

10. The combination of an engine, an electric-machine connected thereto, a second ary battery, an automatic switch for controlling the charge of the battery by the electric machine, and a switch for disabling the automatic switch and connecting the battery to the electric machine whereby the same may be operated as a motor for starting the engine. v 11. The combination of an engine, an electric machine connected thereto, a secondary battery, an automatic switch for controlling the charge of the battery by the electric machine, said automatic switch having. a lifting coil and a holding coil and a switch for open circuiting said lifting coil and connecting the battery to the electric machine, whereb. said machinemay be operated as a motor or' starting the ne. I

12. In a device of thee aracter described, the combination with an engine, a motor-- generator, and connections between the en inc and motor-generator for starting the ormer by the latter and running the latter by the former; of an accumulator having a plurality of circuit, connections with said motor generator, certain of said circuit connections being adapted to transmit high wattage from the accumulator to the motor generator for starting purposes, and other of said circuit connections being adapted to transmit low wattage from the motor generator to the accumulator for charging purses' and a controllin lnember havim a 7 b normal position, for selecting the low wattage circuit connection .for charging pursee but movable to adifierent position to select the high wattage circuit connection for starting'purposes; with provisions for automation y re'storin member to normal POSitlOl'l said controlling.

In testimony whereof, I. aflix my signature.

WILLIAM Buss. 

